The Thrill of the Hunt
by Whose Liner
Summary: A seemingly normal day transforms into a twisted night of terror when Yugi is forced to play a Shadow Game with a dangerous game hunter!
1. The Hunt Begins

**Introduction:** Wow! Fellow, readers…this is my FIRST time ever writing a fanfic in a new (anime) category! Up until now, I've only written Digimon stories! But I figured it was time to take a small break from it, and try something new! So read this fanfic and tell me whatcha think! By the way, this is my first Yu-Gi-Oh! story, so please go easy on me, this time around!

**Author's Note:** Before you read on, I would like to point out that this story is based on the _ORIGINAL _"Yu-Gi-Oh!" Japanese TV series and early chapters of the manga! If you were hoping to see some dueling action, you won't find it here! This story is about Yugi acting as the "avenger of justice", using the powers of his Millennium Puzzle to release his dark side, and challenge evildoers to dangerous and life-threatening games!

However, later on I WILL be writing a "Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters" fanfic, so if you don't like this story, just try to be patient and wait for it! Still…while this story is _BASED _on the first series, I've taken small details from the "Duel Monsters" storyline and integrated them into this story, such as usage of the English dubbed names, the LAME-O friendship themes, as well as a few other interesting surprises…

**Warning:** This story has been rated PG-13 for violence, concerning a small bit of gunplay. Weapons are a horrible thing, and no one deserves to be hurt like that. So if you're not a fan of the original "Yu-Gi-Oh!" series, and/or you don't like violence, then DO NOT continue any further! Otherwise, I encourage you to read on and enjoy!

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There is a history of games. Game history is interwoven with human history, starting in the Egyptian empire five thousand years ago. Ancient games foretold the future for citizens and kings. As games were played, fate was decided in magical ceremonies. These were called "The Shadow Games."

**Yu-Gi-Oh! - The Thrill of the Hunt**

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Chapter 1 - The Hunt Begins

It was a seemingly normal day in Domino City. Since it was a school day, most kids were…well, in school. The clocks throughout the area displayed the time as 11:15 am, which was the start of a study hall period at Domino High. But meetings in the teachers' lounge usually took place around this time, so some of the study hall classes were left unattended.

It didn't matter as much as one might think. Some of the teachers there often accused the students of wrongdoings that they did not commit, just to see how much trouble they could get them into, when in reality, the student body was mostly peaceful and quiet enough, even during study hall.

Speaking of "hall", two students were IN the hall, getting something from their lockers that would soon provoke a lot of laughter. The shorter of the two teens, Yugi Moto, a freshman with red highlighted, black spiky hair complete with yellow bangs in the front, wasn't so sure about what he was about to do.

Yugi turned to his taller friend, Joey Wheeler. The young man ran his hand through his short blonde hair.

"I don't know about this, Joey…are you sure that this is the right thing to do? I mean…this IS study hall period…" Yugi said, in a worried voice.

"Don' worry 'bout it Yuge! I got it ALL worked out! Besides, your gramps wants us to test this stuff ta see if it works, right?"

"Well, yeah…but not in SCHOOL!"

"Like I said, don't you worry one bit, pal! 'Sides, if we get caught, which we WON'T…then I'LL take da rap for it!" Joey assured his friend.

The two friends nodded, and quietly entered the study hall. As expected, no teachers were present and most of the students were minding their own business. Some were chatting, others were playing cards, and a few were actually doing homework or studying!

Yugi turned his head to see some girls chatting in a corner. Among them was Yugi's close friend Téa Gardner, a teenage girl about his age with short brown hair. Like some sort of weird sixth sense, she knew she knew that Yugi was looking at her, so she quickly turned her head and looked at Yugi. She sweetly smiled at him and waved her hand. Yugi shot her back a warm smile and waved back.

Téa knew only too well that Joey was known for getting himself into mischief without even trying. Seeing what he and Yugi were up to, she continued to smile and shook her head then went back to talking to her friends.

Looking through the scope on his little "tool", Joey could barely contain his excitement. He also saw his prey. It was in the shape of Tristan Taylor, a tall buddy of his with a strange pyramid-shaped, brown hairstyle.

Though Tristan had his back turned, Joey saw that he was talking to a girl. And not just ANY girl, as far as Tristan was concerned. This was Miho Nosaka, the student librarian. She was a very pretty girl with long pale purple hair tied back in a ponytail with a lovely yellow ribbon, which had become more or less her trademark, earning her the nickname "Ribbon".

Joey grinned as he watched Tristan try for the umpteenth time to ask Miho out on a date, having absolutely no doubt that she would turn him down yet again. But Tristan hoped that this time it would be different. And Joey simply hoped that Tristan would keep his back turned long enough for him to-

SPPPPPRRRRRTTTTT!

"HEY!" Tristan yelled.

Joey couldn't help but laugh at what had transpired. Him and Yugi had snuck up on Tristan and blasted him away with the new brand of squirt guns called the "Squirt Master 4000". Solomon Moto, Yugi's grandfather, had each given them one to test out. Although Tristan was covered in water, his pride was really what was all wet.

The blonde boy laughed heartily and so did many of the other students in the room who had saw what had happened. Yugi knew it was rude, but he couldn't help but snicker a little at the (hopefully) harmless prank that they had just pulled.

Joey sometimes was known to possess a short temper, and could get angry easily if pushed. But Tristan tended to be a little calmer at times, and knew how to handle the situation at hand in a sensible way.

"C'MERE, JOEY!" Tristan yelled (in what seemed to sound like a murderous rage) as he got up to move.

Joey made a break for it, and scampered out of the classroom and down the school hallway while being promptly hunted by a furious Tristan.

* * *

After school, Yugi headed straight home. For the past week, he'd been working on a new jigsaw puzzle that his grandfather had recently acquired. Téa and Joey had no plans for the rest of the day, so they joined Yugi and accompanied him back to his house.

As the three friends walked together, they began to chat about the puzzle that Yugi had been spending so much time on.

"So exactly how big IS this jigsaw puzzle, Yugi?" Téa asked.

"I'm not too sure," Yugi replied, scratching his head.

"Well, don' worry, pal!" Joey said. "It might be huge, but it couldn't possibly be more complex than your Millennium Puzzle, right?"

Yugi nodded, and glancing down at the golden (inverted) pyramid-shaped pendant connected to a rope that was almost always hanging around his neck. He smiled at the memory of how he wished for a real friend when he was assembling it. The strange symbol on the front of it (which resembled some sort of eye) had always caught Yugi's attention.

"WOOF, WOOF!"

The three young teens turned their heads in the direction of the sound. A stray dog was racing down the street from behind them.

"Yugi, is that dog STILL hanging around this neighborhood!" Téa impatiently asked.

"Sure looks like it," Yugi said, watching the animal race down the street. "That dog just CAN'T stay outta trouble, no matter how hard it tries!"

"Sounds a lot like me!" Joey said, laughing it off.

Yugi sighed, knowing that the dog wasn't rabid or anything. It was, in fact, very kind to all of the little kids around the neighborhood, who loved the dog. Yet none of the parents were very fond of animals, much less dogs. A small part of Yugi felt that he could rest a little more easily if he knew for a fact that the dog had a good home, and a kind-hearted owner to care for it.

He gave Tea and Joey a more in-depth explanation about how that dog had a real knack for getting itself into mischief. But then a bad feeling manifested itself in the back of Yugi's head. It felt like some kind of warning, saying that something terrible might soon occur. Yugi tried very hard to brush the bad thought away.

* * *

"More juice, kids?" Yugi's mother asked, walking into the living room with a tray of drinks.

"Right here, ma'am!" Joey hollered.

"Me too, Mom," Yugi added.

"None for me, thanks," Téa said politely.

Mrs. Moto smiled as she took the empty glasses from the two boys and replaced them with full ones. Joey took a long, **loud** slurp of his drink through a straw, causing Téa to scowl at him.

"Is something wrong, my boy?" Solomon Moto asked.

"Not really…it's just that…well…I saw that misfit dog again today while we walked back here. I guess I'm just really worried about it."

"Well, don't think about it too much, Yugi," Mrs. Moto advised. "Hopefully, someone will take pity on that dog and give it a good home."

"Yeah…you're right, Mom. I'm probably just worrying too much."

"Hey, Yuge…why doncha turn on the boob tube?" Joey asked, turning to the television.

"Okay!" Yugi cheerfully exclaimed, grabbing the remote control.

The first image everyone saw was an exclusive news report. Téa, Joey, and Yugi put down their jigsaw puzzle pieces, at what they saw. The television showed some sort of instant replay of a target getting shot up, specifically its yellow-colored dot in the center.

"Whoa, bull's eye," Joey said, half-impressed.

The camera angle moved away to show a man putting down his firearm and waving to a crowd applauding for him.

Targets had been set up on a high stage against a sturdy wall. Near the back were stacks of bottles and other simple items to be used as additional targets. Yugi and his friends were a little confused about what was going on, but a young female news reporter appeared at the scene to explain all. Yugi snickered a bit when he saw Joey drool a little at the sight of the young attractive newswomen.

"…and I'm here on the scene, at a special exhibition and demonstration of skill conducted by the famed game hunter, Arch Seeker. As he-"

"Who?" Yugi asked, immediately turning down the volume on the television.

"I heard a' dis guy," Joey said. "This guy's pretty good with his hands, as well as his weapons. No wild animal can sneak past him in even da thickest clump of woods, and he's the best there is at shooting down targets from like a ZILLION miles away!"

"Yeah, that's REEEEALLY fortunate for the animals that he tracks down in his spare time," Téa said in a VERY sarcastic tone.

"Hey, I'm not saying that he's RIGHT for doin' everything he's done…I'm just saying that his skills are impressive, is all!" Joey argued.

Yugi laughed a bit as he turned up the volume back up on the television. Téa and Joey stopped arguing as they saw the news reporter briefly interviewing the hunter. He looked like a man, possibly a few years short of being middle aged, but he had a few wrinkles in his pale skin, and he had short (but slightly spiky) whitish hair with some faint hints of gray streaks in it. He wore two circle shaped earrings (in his ears, of course), a long-sleeved dark blue shirt, black pants and long black boots to match.

"Mr. Arch Seeker…" the newswomen began, "...is it true that you claim to be the greatest hunter there is?"

"Too true, ALL too true!" Seeker boasted. "No one can outdo me when it comes to hunting! I am the GREATEST!"

"And what exactly makes you the greatest, sir?"

"It's quite simple…NO one can beat me! And if ever anyone dares to get in my way…then I hunt them down like the vermin they are! My prey goes on the run until…BANG! Down they go!"

"Being the big game hunter that you are, I'm sure that you use a wide variety of weapons to hunt with. Which one do you prefer to use?" the women asked, pointing her microphone at Seeker's loud mouth.

"Ha! NO weapon is useless in MY capable hands! As long as I have SOMETHING to crush my prey with, they're as good as DEAD!"

"Ewww! That old freak is sick!" Téa complained, briefly shivering and hugging herself.

"YUGI!" Mrs. Moto nearly yelled, pulling everyone's mind back to the here and now, "I don't want you watching another moment of that trash! Turn it off NOW!"

Yugi scrambled for the remote and quickly pressed the "POWER" button, but Téa's eyes immediately widened at what she saw before the image on the television screen vanished.

"Whoa! Wait, Yugi!" she sputtered, quickly grabbing the remote from Yugi's hands.

"Téa, what are doing!" Yugi asked, slightly feeling a wave of panic course through his veins.

"Yugi…I think I saw something on the TV that you missed!"

"Huh?"

Téa quickly switched the television back on, and the interview was apparently over, since the hunter had went to demonstrating his oh-so amazing shooting techniques and archery skills, displaying his usage of guns and sharp arrows.

"Somethin' caught yer eye, Téa?" Joey asked, standing up to stretch his arms.

"Uh, YEAH! Look!" Téa almost shouted, pointing to a certain lace on the TV screen.

"Oh, no!" Yugi cried. "Joey, it's-"

"It's that dog we saw before!" Joey finished.

The six eyes stared at the television screen and saw that the camera angle had zoomed out. And wandering behind the crowd of people was indeed that same shaggy, misfit dog!

Suddenly unknown to all except for Yugi, the golden Millennium Puzzle jerked of its own accord, and tugged just enough for Yugi to notice. Then the queer eye-like symbol glowed for the briefest second, and something inside Yugi's mind awoke.

He felt as if the Puzzle were trying to hint at something. Plus, that uncomfortable feeling from before was back, and Yugi didn't like it one bit. The Puzzle seemed to be giving him another foreshadowing of something evil that would commence…a distrubing warning. Joey's voice snapped Yugi back to reality, and what he had to say regrettably matched perfectly with Yugi's thoughts.

"Oh, no! If dat messed up mutt sticks his wet nose where it don't belong, that dumb hunter'll use 'im fuh target practice and turn him inta mincemeat!" Joey panicked, remembering full well what Yugi had said about the dog.

"Not if we can help it!" Yugi declared. "We gotta go and get that dog out of there!"

"I'm with you!" Téa said.

"I'll go, as well!" Solomon added.

"Are you sure you'll be okay?" Yugi's mother asked.

"Don't you worry about me!" Solomon replied. "I'm as fit as a fiddle!"

"Mom, I know I might be overreacting, but could you call up the vet that lives down the block? Something tells me that we might need her!" Yugi requested.

"But it could very dangerous if you all go down there! Promise me that you'll all be careful!"

Yugi, his Grandpa, and Téa all nodded, except for Joey, who just flashed one of his famous, confident grins. And without another word, the four of them were out the door.

* * *

It was late afternoon when Arch Seeker's demonstration and performance was over. A good amount of his equipment, supplies and weapons had already been packed up. Now he was sitting at a small table, greedily counting up how much money he had made this time.

"Not bad…not bad at all, if I do say so myself…and I DO!" he bellowed, pointing a small pistol up straight into the air, and shooting once.

That weapon was full of blanks, but Seeker enjoyed shooting it off, anyway. He loved the sounds of ammunition being shot off into the wild blue yonder…or into an animal's flesh!

"Maybe after it gets dark, I can sneak off into the zoo, and squeeze in a little extra target practice on the sleeping animals!"

"GRRRRR!"

Seeker dropped his money and turned his head, and saw a shaggy dog growling at him. He glared at the dog, with nothing but impatience and annoyance in his eyes.

"Whaddya YOU want, you germ-infested mutt! SCRAM!" he snapped.

But the dog kept on growling at Seeker, possibly sensing how much of a horrible man he was on the inside. Seeker sometimes had a short temper and had shot a few small, defenseless animals to death. It was more than safe to assume that he felt no remorse over it.

"I said beat it! Unless you want me to put a bullet in between your eyes, you better hit the road!"

Seeker got even more ticked off as the growling continued. He almost unconsciously and secretly reached for the spare pistol in his belt…

"You're one brave strong animal, I'll give you credit for that. So I'll give you one more warning to leave with out any UNPLEASANT consequences," Seeker said as he cocked the gun…

The dog didn't budge an inch. All that was heard was the persistent growl of the animal entering his ears.

"Don't say you didn't have your chance," the man coldly said as he pulled out the gun from hiding. "Tell me, are you familiar with the old saying…hunted and shot down like a **DOG**!"

The dog bravely stood its ground against this terrible, cold-blooded hunter and showed off its sharp set of teeth. Thankfully, Yugi and his friends had just arrived on the scene, just in time for-

**BLAM!**

"NOOOOOOOO!" Yugi screamed as he watched the man pulled the trigger. Joey and Solomon gasped, while Téa covered her mouth and squeezed her eyes shut and turned away from the horrible scene that had just played out.

"Apparently you don't know the first thing about discipline, you pathetic excuse for an animal! You're barely worth using my bullets on!" Seeker hissed.

"STOP!"

That was all that Yugi yelled, not stopping to catch his breath like the others had. He ran straight to the dog, which was now on the ground whimpering a bit. He kneeled by it, getting in between the dog…and the other animal standing before it.

"Where'd you come from, kid!" Seeker asked. "Move outta the way so I can finish this miserable creature off!"

Yugi had his head turned away from the man, and made sounds which sounded like tears of sorrow. He let a few tears fall to the ground, and then turned to lock eyes with this "hunter."

"How…? HOW…how could you DO such a thing to a defenseless animal like this!"

"If you got something to say to me kid, then just SAY it, already!"

"YOU HEARTLESS MONSTER! I WON'T LET YOU GET AWAY WITH THIS!" Yugi screamed at the top of his lungs.

"Ha! You're a feisty one, aren't you? Those are pretty BIG words coming from such SMALL prey!"

"BIG things possessing amazing talents can come in SMALL packages!" Yugi angrily shot back.

"Oh, really? Then tell that to the last batch of small animals that I've defeated! You don't even know what you're talking about!"

"HOW DARE YOU! You're disgusting! This dog didn't do anything, except maybe sense how much of an insane creep you are!"

Seeker, who had his back turned to Yugi, turned around again, menacingly brandishing his gun. Yugi's tear-filled eyes went wide, but he did his absolute best to remain firm, and gritted his teeth, despite the fear that was running through Yugi's mind.

"Is that a threat! Look at this weapon! D'you think this is a TOY or something! I should just end your misery right here and now! Look…when I hunt, I give all of those animals a fair chance to defend themselves or run away! But it's not MY fault if they aren't fast enough to escape! When they tire, they're already as good as dead! They lose the hunt, and I score an automatic victory!"

"Yeah, right!" Yugi shouted. "And then you just go back, track down some more defenseless animals, and do it again!"

"What can I say? A good hunter must acquire STRONG hounds to replace the weak ones!"

Yugi just continued to glare at Arch Seeker, while the other three he had arrived on the scene with continued to watch. But they were too paralyzed by fear to even come close.

"Look, kid…we could argue all day about this, but I'm on a tight schedule! I'm outta here!"

"You're not going anywhere!" Yugi declared.

But Arch Seeker angrily whipped around and-

**BANG! BANG! BANG! **

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TO BE CONTINUED...

Well, that marks the first chapter of my very first Yu-Gi-Oh! fanfic! Another reason why this story is so violent was because I was simply trying to do something really different for a change. The next chapter will be posted soon, so there's no reason to worry too long about what shall happen to Yugi! I'll see ya next chapter!

**Disclaimer: **I forgot to mention at the beginning that I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! or anything related to it. Otherwise I'd be an incredibly rich man right now, and not writing pieces of fanfiction such as these. Well, keep patience readers! And don't worry…this isn't going to be a terribly long story. I wanted my first Yu-Gi-Oh! story to be somewhat short, in order to get a better feel for it, rather than spending months crapping out long chapter after long chapter! Ciao for now!


	2. Preying For Prey

**Disclaimer: **I don't own "Yu-Gi-Oh!", but man…I sure wish that I did. (Don't we all?)

In addition, the warnings that I gave at the beginning of the first chapter take notice more in the middle of this chapter. So as before, if you dislike violence, then do not continue reading.

**Yu-Gi-Oh! - The Thrill of the Hunt**

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Chapter 2 - Preying For Prey

Tea, Joey and Grandpa screamed Yugi's name, but they saw that Yugi was still kneeling on the

ground…with no gunshots wounds on him anywhere!

"Scared? Surprised?" Seeker asked, cocking the gun in his hand once more. "THIS one was filled with blanks…but if you ever cross me again, I WON'T be so gracefully charitable!"

Arch Seeker tucked the gun back in his belt, stuffed his hands in his pockets, and walked away cackling heartily to himself. Yugi just glared at him. But the anger, rage, and hatred inside him grew more and more…and those negative emotions arose to a burning climax. Unbeknownst to Yugi, the Millennium Puzzle around his neck began to glow brightly…

"YUGI!"

The young boy whipped his head around in the direction of the voices and saw the others come towards him. The Puzzle's light ceased in a split second. Yugi gently cradled the dog in his arms, and his tears started streaming down his cheeks again.

"Guys!" Yugi yelled.

"We saw what dat creep did! You showed some real guts dere, pal!" Joey congratulated.

"Oh, Yugi! Thank goodness you weren't hurt!" Tea yelled, hugging Yugi tightly.

Yugi's eyes went wide again as she thrust her arms around him and cried a little. Yugi's cheeks flushed a soft shade of red, not surprisingly. As nice as this felt, his mind quickly switched back to the dog that had been shot.

"Oh…Grandpa! The dog! How is…I mean…"

Yugi gasped when he saw the growing bloodstain on the ground. But he exhaled a sigh of relief when he saw that the dog was still conscious and breathing, albeit somewhat heavily.

"I not sure, Yugi…I'm no veterinarian. However, it seems like the bullet only grazed the dog's leg…but I really can't be sure."

"Well, there's NO way we can jus' leave him 'ere! We gotta take this thing someplace where it can get some help!" Joey declared.

"It's okay, Joey," Yugi said. "I told my mom to ring up the vet before we left. She's half-expecting us."

"Then we have to get this dog to her right away!" Tea stated.

"I know where she lives!" Grandpa said firmly. "Help me pick the dog up, Joey!"

Joey, Tea and Grandpa tried hard to do so, but it was no easy task, as the dog was more heavy than it appeared to be. But additional help would come and make impeccable timing-

"Hey! You guys need any help?" hollered a low male voice.

Yugi, Tea, Joey, and Grandpa turned their heads and briefly smiled when he saw who the voice belonged to. It was two more of his friends!

"Tristan! Miho!" Yugi yelled.

"Yugi! We saw what just happened and it was just SICK what that guy pulled back there!" Miho exclaimed.

"Yeah!" Tristan agreed. "But you showed that creep who's REALLY the bravest!"

"Listen, we need to get this dog to da vet! Help us out, Tristan!" Joey noted.

"Joey's right!" Yugi said. "Let's get this fella to where he needs to be!"

"Wait!" Tea said. "Joey…you, Miho, Tristan, and Grandpa get the dog to that nearby vet! I'll stay here with Yugi and we'll catch up with you!"

"Okay," Joey said. "Let's move out, guys!"

Miho took a handkerchief out of her pocket and tied it gently, but firmly around the dog's wounded leg, in order to lessen the amount of bleeding.

"Hey, Yugi?" Miho said before taking off with the others.

"Yeah?" he said, much calmer than before.

"Nice job back there," she said.

Miho flashed him a real warm smile that Yugi hadn't seen before. Tristan had nothing to say, but gave him a thumbs-up as a sign that Yugi had done well. Joey just grinned and winked. After everyone had left Tea exhaled heavily and wiped a little sweat off of her forehead.

"Umm…Tea?" Yugi asked as he sat himself on the edge of the stage where Arch Seeker had performed.

"Yeah, Yugi?"

"Why did you stay behind?"

Tea couldn't think of anything to say at the moment so she just sighed and sat on the stage next to her good friend.

"Well…I guess I just wanted to make sure that you were okay. We were ALL really worried."

"Hey, I was hanging on to the edge of my **own** seat for a while there."

Tea and Yugi laughed for a moment, letting themselves relax temporarily. But as much as Yugi hated to see the laughter end, there were still some things that he felt he need to discuss with Tea.

"You and Joey musta been scared outta your wits, huh?"

"You can say that again…I'm just sorry we couldn't have helped more! You really showed that you had enough courage for all of us."

"That's not true! You helped me just by being there! That's what you always say, isn't it?"

"I say **what?**"

"That we're a **team!** We support each other…right, Tea?"

"That's right, Yugi!" Tea said, smiling. "That's what you, me, Joey, Tristan, and Miho have always been about! Friends being there for one another!"

Yugi sighed too, and tried hard to force a smile. This had been quite a stressful day, but it wasn't anything a good night's sleep couldn't fix.

"And Yugi…?"

"Yeah?" Yugi said looking up at Tea's pretty face.

"I almost lost you today…and, uh…"

"And?"

Tea had a real problem trying to say what she was trying to say. So she quickly leaned closer to Yugi and sweetly kissed him on the cheek.

"Just **promise** me that you won't ever scare me like that again," she said blushing and nervously fidgeting her hands behind her back.

"I, uh…I'll…I'll…I'll try not to…" was all he could get out.

Yugi was now blushing furiously, too. He was completely at a loss for words, not surprisingly. For another few seconds, the two teens stared at each other, and then they stared down at the ground. Tea then broke the uncomfortable silence by holding out her hand.

"C'mon, Yugi…let's go see if the dog is okay," she said in a very sweet and soft tone, holding out her hand.

"Nah, I think stay here for a few more minutes…y'know, to catch my breath. You go on without me."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I'll be okay. Go on, Tea. I'll catch up with you."

"Okay, Yugi. I'll see you in a little while."

"Bye!"

Tea waved as she ran off into the distance, and soon Yugi was alone. By now, the sun had gone down, and the streetlights began shining onto the ground below. Yugi got off of the stage and went back to the spot where the hunter had shot at him. All that was left from recent catastrophe was the bloodstain on the ground from where the dog had bled.

Somehow, the smell of the dog's blood was still pretty strong. But the smell entering his nose wasn't the blood of the impaired animal…it was the stench of the rotten hunter who had preyed on the weak and defenseless.

Similar to a few moments before, Yugi grew angry, and clenched his fists, which soon shook with burning rage. His soul became consumed with hatred for the horrible man and hunter, Arch Seeker. He closed his eyes and his mouth slowly flashed a dark grin. In a low voice that sounded different from his usual tone, he said…

"I think it's time to see how good a hunter Arch Seeker really is."

Yugi closed his eyes and once again, the golden Millennium Puzzle around his neck began to activate and released its dark magic. It shook for a second, then the eye-like emblem on the front of it glowed, and a brilliant continuous flash of bright golden light emitted from the entire Puzzle itself.

The light from the Millennium Puzzle then focused into a thin beam, and aimed itself at the center of Yugi's forehead and the imprint of a glowing eye appeared there. His own eyes opened about halfway, and his spiky hair became wavy, even through there was no wind present to blow through it.

As no one was there to witness the strange transformation that was taking place, no one could hear the shout that followed when the Puzzle's light filled the whole area for a brief second…

"**YUGIOH!!**"

The light from the centuries-old Egyptian artifact then intensified and glowed even brighter than the streetlights hanging from above.

* * *

About fifteen to twenty minutes later, Arch Seeker returned. He evilly smiled to himself, confident in his abilities, as he usually was. But in the few minutes, all that would change forever. He looked carefully at some of the equipment that hadn't been packed up yet.

"Hmm, I'll have to stock up on some better weapons the next time I go hunting for fresh meat."

"Meat is only as tasteful as the butcher who prepares it…just as weapons are only as skillful as the hunter who uses them," echoed a deep, mature voice, followed by dark laughter.

"Who…who's there?! Show yourself!"

The mysterious voice originating from nowhere (or so it seemed) ignored the hunter at the present moment and continued its philosophical speech.

"It's the same regarding one's inner strength. Power is only as potent as the warrior who wields it."

"Stop babbling and step outta the darkness or I'll shoot!" Seeker said as he reached for his pistol.

Suddenly a sparkle of gold light appeared from within the darkness of the stage where the hunter had been performing. More laughter was heard as Seeker continued to point his gun at the figure who stepped into the light. Seeker was somewhat confused at the individual standing before him, laughing.

This person had a stern, determined expression firmly fixed to his face. He just stood there confidently with his hands in his pockets. The white shirt that he had been wearing under his blue school jacket had now been replaced by a dark blue leather-like undershirt. The shade of blue on his school jacket and pants had now appeared in an indigo color. Black shoes were worn around his feet, instead of the black and white sneakers that had been there previously.

Seeker wasn't sure what to make of this person, but he definitely looked familiar. Then he noticed the pendant around the individual's neck. That's when it struck him. The hunter hadn't noticed it immediately but he saw now that this person looked slightly different from before. He was noticeably taller than before, and had a cold, serious look on his face. There were also additional yellow strands of hair from his forehead sticking upwards with the rest of his hair.

"What a minute! NOW I remember you! You're that snot-nosed punk I was talking to before! What other business do you have here? Didn't you learn your lesson?"

"Heh, heh, heh. Maybe…and maybe not. But it's all too clear to me you've yet to learn yours. So let me educate you in the true ways of hunting."

"What would YOU know about hunting?! Get lost, kid! Who do you think you are, anyway?"

"I'm Yugi Moto…but just call me Yugi."

"Yugi, huh? Well, I'd prefer to call you 'DEAD', if you don't make yourself scarce! So unless you want me to spill some of your blood like I did with that dog, you better do as I say!"

"Actually, I've something much more ingenious in mind."

"What are you talking about?"

"I say we handle this in a civilized way…**LET'S PLAY A GAME!**"

"A game?"

"That's right...one that will decide your fate, coward! You say that hunting is all just a game to you. So let's see how well you deal with my version of a hunt…with new rules! This will be a **SHADOW GAME!**"

"Ha! Why should I bother to play a stupid game with you? You have nothing that's of any use to me! What's to stop me from grabbing a rifle and giving your body more holes than Swiss cheese?!"

"Because a prize awaits you if you win!" Yugi said as he pointed towards the table Seeker had been sitting at, where he had been counting his money.

"Well? What is it?" Seeker asked.

"Win this game…and I'll match the money you made today from your pathetic demonstrations! But if you break the rules, then you must pay the penalty!"

Seeker's eyes widened beyond belief. He took into account that this kid might be lying, but the chance to score some quick cash money was often a tempting offer that not many people like him could resist.

"Interesting offer, kid! All right, what's this game of yours?"

"First things first…"

"Huh?"

"The hidden gun in your belt," Yugi said pointing at him. "Get rid of it. And I want you walking in front of me as we head towards the location of our game. There will be no surprise attacks from you!"

"Hmph! Doesn't matter…" Seeker said as he took the gun out of his belt and tossed it into one of the bins where he kept his other weapons, and relocked it.

"Good…looks like you at least have the ability to follow orders. It will make your following of the rules much easier!"

"Watch that mouth of yours, punk! Now let's get on with this hunt! The sooner I win, the sooner I can take my prize!"

"Very well…we'll play in the miniature zoo in the nearby park."

"Fine! Lead the way!"

Yugi nodded and gestured to get a move on. Yugi wasn't sure how good of a hunter Arch Seeker really was, but nevertheless, he was determined to make him pay for-

* * *

"**HA, HA, HA, HA, HA!**"

* * *

As they walked, Yugi's eyes and ears perked up at the laughter he thought he had heard, and mentally sensed a great evil force somewhere in the vicinity. Yugi quickly looked around, but it was near impossible to see anything in this darkness, which was rapidly accelerating. Still keeping his pace, he regained his focus and concentrated on the talk at hand.

A minute or two later, the two men arrived at the site. The park in Domino had a small segment that operated like a zoo. There were even some cages with a few really wild animals in them.

The two of them stopped walking as they came to a giant cage split in half. Seeker couldn't exactly see the animals in there, but at the same time, he didn't feel like finding out. Yugi led the hunter into the half of the cage that was empty.

"Here is where we will play our game," Yugi stated.

"You mean…in this huge animal cage?!"

"Yes. Now…I've prepared the equipment that we need for this hunting game."

Yugi pointed to a nearby wooden table in the corner. On it was a small pile of arrows, and two bows.

"What's this all about?"

"Heh, heh…you'll see soon enough. Next we must use these!"

Seeker became even more confused as Yugi held up a pair of shackles, typically used on prison inmates. Yugi took them, and attached one end of each shackle to one of the bars that separated the gigantic cage in two. Then he gave the end of one shackle to the hunter, and kept one for himself.

"Now, we must both shackle the other end of this chain to our ankle so that we can't escape! Then we both pick up a bow and take turns shooting arrows at the bars that separate the two halves of this cage!"

"Get to the point, kid! Are we aiming for the animals in this game?!"

"No. Our target is…the **LOCK!** "

"Wha…?"

The hunter looked forward and saw that the bars separating the two halves of the cage was actually also a door. It had no handle, but there was a lock holding the door closed. Upon closer observation, the lock looked old and rusty, and it probably wouldn't take very much strength to break it off without the key. And with the aid of what little light there was, Seeker could just make out the silhouettes of a few wild animals in the other half of the cage. He began to sweat a bit, as the animals looked HUNGRY.

"That lock keeps the door closed between the two parts of this cage. Now, from the looks of how old it is, it might not take a lot for it to break. So we'll use our arrows and aim for the lock. Every time we hit it, it will come looser and looser until it breaks off, setting all the animals loose on THIS side of the cage!"

"Hmmm…"

"The player who manages to avoid breaking off the lock is the winner! In addition, there is a hidden key in this small pile of arrows is the key that can unlock the shackle that's attached around our ankle. An automatic win goes to the one to uncover the key first!"

"So the winner frees himself, while the loser becomes rat bait! Sounds interesting! I've never lost when it comes to the thrill of the hunt, and this game makes no difference to me! I accept the challenge!"

"Very well! Then attach the shackle you're holding around one of your ankles! I'll do the same."

Yugi and the hunter took a moment to do just that. In his mind, Yugi mentally apologized to the caged animals for two things. First, for any inadvertent taunting and scaring inflicted upon them as they shot off the arrows. Second…for how unsatisfying the hunter will taste when they FEED on him!

Another thing that caught Yugi's attention was that the hunter didn't seem to be nervous at all. He must have had one last trick up his sleeve, so Yugi would definitely have to be on his guard if he wanted to win this game!

"Okay, now that everything is in place, take your bow! And lastly, we'll shoot to decide who goes first!!" Yugi said, holding out his fist.

The hunter did the same, and at the same time they were to hold out their hands in a "Rock, Paper, Scissors" fashion. Seeker chose rock and Yugi chose paper.

"Looks like I go first! Now get ready!" he declared.

"Heh!" the hunter sneered.

"**GAME START!** " Yugi hollered.

**

* * *

**

TO BE CONTINUED (AGAIN)…

Well, the second chapter is completed and done with! There should be at least one more, so keep sending me reviews and continue giving me feedback! I absolutely enjoy reading it! So keep waiting, and we'll soon find out what fate holds in store for Yugi and the rest of the gang! By the way, if any of you have criticism regarding the "game" I invented, so please go easy on me! It took me forever to think it up, and I'm still wracking my brain over it! Well, see you all later! Sayonara!


	3. A New Predator

**Disclaimer: **I wouldn't own "Yu-Gi-Oh!" even if you paid me! Wait a moment…lemme rethink that one…

**Yu-Gi-Oh! - The Thrill of the Hunt**

**

* * *

**

Chapter 3 - A New Predator

Yugi began and picked up one of the long, but sharp arrows and attached it into the appropriate position in his bow. Sweating a little, he slowly pulled the bow back, aimed the arrow…and released! The arrow hit its target dead on, and the lock must have been a little more old and rusty than he thought, because it seemed like it was ready to fall off even after it had only been hit once.

"Phew!" Yugi said, putting down his bow and wiping off some sweat. "I underestimated how weak the lock really was. So I couldn't be sure of how much strength I should put into it…"

"Ha! I guess hunting's not as easy as you think it is?" Seeker asked.

"We shall see. In the meantime, it's **YOUR** turn."

Despite the growing darkness at this time of day, Yugi could clearly see the nervous sweat on Seeker's forehead as he reached for an arrow. Still the hunter had too much pride to back off from this challenge. He hunter concentrated hard as he slowly pulled the arrow backwards. Whatever sign of bravado that he had shown before was gone now as he aimed for the lock. The darkness on the other side of the cage seemed darker than the sky above them.

Yugi watched closely as the hunter finally released the arrow, and not too surprisingly, the arrow hit its target. Seeker clenched his teeth nervously as both of them watched the lock break off a little more.

"Ha! Nothing to it!"

"My turn again!" Yugi said, swiftly grabbing another arrow from the table.

For the next few minutes or so, things went on just like that. They took turns shooting off their arrows, but with each turn, Seeker got more and more nervous. That appeared to be one strange lock, which had been underestimated and overestimated. At first, Yugi and Seeker had not taken into account how weak the lock was and how easily it might be broken off, but at the same time it seemed to be JUST sturdy enough to hold on.

Seeker was getting impatient pretty fast. He angrily thought about how horrific it would be if he were to lose, and although he might have had the capacity to pull it off and win, he had places to be and didn't want to waste any more time than he had to with this kid and his games.

As Yugi was getting ready to pull off another shot with his arrow, Seeker's total patience had expired and he decided to end this here and now.

"I'm getting tired of this…" Seeker whispered to himself.

Yugi couldn't hear what the hunter had just said, but he already knew that he was up to something. Something in his mind was telling him that this game was going to end shortly…

"Getting tired, hunter? Or are you afraid of losing?" Yugi said, egging his opponent on.

"I fear **NOTHING!** And I'd say that you're about to **LOSE** this hunt, Yugi!"

"Is that so?"

"A professional hunter like me is prepared for **ANY** situation!" Seeker said as he chuckled, as he reached behind his back.

"Oh, really?"

"**TAKE THIS!!**" he yelled, whipping out a hidden gun.

Yugi just closed his eyes and smirked.

"So my suspicions were right! You DID have another gun hidden in the back of your belt! I'm surprised that I didn't notice it before…"

"Heh, heh, heh! That's nice work! But I'm afraid it's too little, **TOO LATE!** I'm going to have to cut this game short! But don't worry! I'll treat you with as much respect as I did with all of my **OTHER** prey! I'll take your life and score an automatic win!"

Yugi just watched the confident, sick look on the hunter's wrinkled face, and growled in frustration. But the boy wasn't out of ideas just yet…

"Bye, bye, Yugi! Now I will-"

"**NOT SO FAST, HUNTER!**"

But before Yugi could say anything else, a gun's trigger was once again pulled dangerously within his vicinity.

**BANG!!**

"Wha…?"

Seeker was confused at what had just happened, especially since his opponent still appeared to be standing, with no visible gunshot wound anywhere on his body. Ready to explain everything, Yugi pointed towards the ground. Lying there was the lock.

"THE LOCK?! You broke it off…?"

"No…you did. You lose, hunter! Before you fired your gun at me, I aimed my arrow at it, and it jerked the gun towards the lock. The bullet then was shot, and broke the lock off completely!"

"But that's impossible! **YOU** were the one holding the bow and arrow…!"

"Yes, but I my arrow struck your gun just before you could fire off that one shot! And now I'll make sure that you don't try to get off another!"

Yugi swiftly stuck out his leg and kicked the gun out of the hunter's hand. Seeker yelled in pain, but that wouldn't even begin to compare to what would happen next.

"You're no different from others that I've seen. You weren't capable of following the rules after all! Now…as I promised, you must pay the **penalty** for your crimes!"

"Huh?!"

"Since you broke the rules, you must face the brute force of the animals in this cage!" Yugi said, quickly rummaging through the pile of arrows, and snatching up the key.

The hunter's might have grabbed the key himself, but he was still holding his hand that Yugi had fiercely kicked. His eyes widened as heard additional noises coming from the other side of the cage. And he didn't want to know how hungry those animals were.

"Not so exciting now when the hunter becomes the **HUNTED**…is it?" Yugi coldly asked, with his arms crossed.

"**NO!** W…wait! You…you can't just leave me here!" Seeker panicked.

Seeker growled as he saw Yugi unlocking his own shackle that was around his ankle. Then he pocketed the key, and just looked back at the hunter one more time, giving him an icy look.

"Tell that to all the defenseless animals you harmed."

Closing (and locking) the door behind him, Yugi put the key – and his hands – in his pockets and walked out of the cage. He then took one last look behind him just as the door that separated the two halves of the cage swung open.

"Arch Seeker, you think that powerful weapons and good aim makes you a fine hunter. But when it comes to playing a Shadow Game, those who hunt are unaware of how powerful their **prey** can be!"

And with those last words Yugi left the scene. But his ears were soon stained with the awful sounds of a man's screams, cloth being torn up, and flesh being ripped off.

* * *

The sky was completely dark by the time Yugi got to the vet's house. He reached the door and put up his hand to knock, but suddenly his mind stopped for a moment. His thoughts started moving fast about something that didn't make very much sense.

"Hey, wait a sec," he quietly said to himself, "How…how did I get **here?!**"

Yugi would have thought about it for a few moments more, but he immediately remembered why he came.

**KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK!!**

"Could you get that, Joey?" asked Mrs. Moto, from inside the house.

"Sure thing," Joey said.

The blonde haired boy swiftly opened the door to reveal Yugi! Joey was glad to see him, but he a few questions to ask, as Yugi had been missing for quite a while. He looked normal on the outside, but there was a lot of stress in his eyes and voice.

"Hey, Joey," Yugi said, with some fatigue in his voice.

"Yuge! Where ya **been**, pal!?" Joey nearly yelled.

Tristan, Mrs. Moto, Miho, Grandpa, and Tea rushed into the room to see Yugi. Téa was the one who was mostly worried for Yugi, though.

"Yugi, where on Earth **were** you?! I've been worried **sick** about you for nearly half an hour!" Mrs. Moto scolded.

She lightly bopped her son over the head, but then quickly hugged him fiercely and tightly, causing Yugi's eyes to bug out from both of her gestures.

"Téa told me what happened between you and that…that horrible hunter person! Don't you **EVER** scare me like that again, d'you hear?!" she nearly screeched, still holding onto her son.

"Yeah, Mom…I understand," Yugi said, nodding as best he could through the hug his mother was still giving him. "Oh…how's the dog?!"

"See for yourself."

Mrs. Moto finally let go of her son and instructed her to go into the next room. Yugi's fatigue vanished upon sight of the animal.

"Hey, boy!" he called to the dog, who looked much happier than before.

The dog was on an examination table, and its wound was bandaged up, and its tail was wagging. Yugi gave the dog a playful hug. Then he looked at the vet with a smile his face.

"Thank you so very much!" he exclaimed.

"And you're so very welcome," the woman said calmly, but cheerfully. "The wound wasn't too bad. The bullet only grazed the dog's leg. It'll be fine after a little while."

"Great!"

"Well, the next thing to do now is to find its owner. Do you know who this dog belongs to?"

"That's the problem," Yugi said with a sigh. "This dog is a stray. And quite a misfit at times. I'd bring it into my own house, but my mom doesn't really like pets."

"Hmm…well, you know what? Being a vet, I already have a few pets of my own. I'd be more than happy and willing to take care of it."

"Really? Are you sure?!"

"I'm sure," the doctor said in friendly voice, nodding slightly. "I mean, I already have a couple cats around the house…but I'm sure I can manage. And feel free to visit him whenever you like!"

"That's awesome! Thanks!" Yugi said, ecstatic with this turn of events.

Having heard the conversation all too clearly, Joey, Miho, Mrs. Moto, Tristan, Téa, and Yugi's Grandpa entered the room thanking and congratulating the vet for her services and generosity. Afterwards, Mrs. Moto decided to invite the vet and all of Yugi's friends over for dinner. She even let the dog come in just this once. The doctor bought along some special food for her new pet,as well.

Although Yugi's mother prepared a simple dinner of curry rice, everyone was nonetheless glad to be here. Mrs. Moto, Grandpa, and the vet sat at the dinner table while Yugi and his friends ate in the living room, watching the television and working on Yugi's jigsaw puzzle.

"Hey, Yugi?" Téa asked, happily munching her dinner.

"Yeah?" Yugi replied.

"I meant to ask you…why didn't you meet up with us sooner? I mean, after I left you…well, you were gone for a while."

"Yeah, what took you so long?" Miho asked, looking up from the puzzle that she, Tristan and Joey had been working on.

"Hmm…" Yugi said, thinking hard. "I dunno, actually. After you took off, Téa…I remember walking over to where the dog had been shot…I remember smelling the bloodstain on the pavement…I got all angry at the hunter…then things got a little fuzzy. And the next thing I know…I'm at the vet's house, just about to knock on the door."

Had Yugi remembered what happened, he would have contemplated the evil presence he had sensed while walking to the park with the hunter. But that was a mystery for another day…

"That's really weird, buddy," Tristan said.

"What can I say? Everything else in between is just a complete blank," Yugi said, shrugging.

Yugi then took a glance down at the Millennium Puzzle around his neck. He noticed that all of bad feelings that had been built up inside him were gone now. Like they had been wiped clean, like the dirt off of a smooth surface. He then wondered if his Puzzle had something to do with his blackout.

"Well, whatever happened, I'm just glad that your okay, Yuge!" Joey happily said.

"Yeah, and I'm glad that we're all together, too!" Téa added.

Yugi smiled, happy to be surrounded by kind and caring people who would stand by him, no matter what. And they knew that they could count on Yugi, as well. The five special friends all laughed and smiled, knowing that their shared future looked bright.

* * *

Back in the park, Arch Seeker finally awoke out of his unconscious state. As he opened his eyes, he slowly realized that he was no longer shackled to the cage bars, nor was he IN the cage, either. He wasn't sure whether Yugi had pulled him out of there or if he had somehow made it out himself, but whatever the reason, he wasn't complaining.

All he felt right now was unimaginable pain. His clothes had been torn up a lot, and there were bruises, scratches, and a number of other nasty wounds covering his body.

"Yugi Moto…" he groaned to himself. "I won't forget this…and one day I'll make you **pay.**"

"That exactly what I was thinking," said a deep voice.

Seeker looked upward and for a moment couldn't see much, due to how late and how dark it had gotten. But after half a minute, he managed to make out the figure of the individual standing before him, dressed in some sort of a robe or cloak. The face of this individual was well hidden, but it wouldn't have taken much to do so, as the night sky only augmented the shadows covering the features of this enigmatic individual.

"Wha…?" Seeker rasped. "Who…are y-"

"I'm just someone who observed your little game with that Yugi boy."

"So…so what?" said Seeker, trying to get up. But he was far too weak to move much.

"I believe that I can help you."

"Help…me? Help me how?"

"What would you say if I were to tell you that I might be able to give you another chance to crush him?"

"I'd…**KILL** for…another shot."

"Heh…that's **EXACTLY** what I needed to hear!" the person said, evilly laughing.

Seeker was only confused at this action, but it mattered little as the last thing he saw before he blacked out again was a bright golden glow and the image of a strange eye-like symbol. But the glow revealed the hooded person's face, if only for an instant. The hunter became slightly intimidated when he saw the dark-skinned face, blonde hair sticking out from the hood, and piercing purple eyes staring at him. On this person's forehead was a golden tiara with the same symbol that was on Yugi's Puzzle.

"**Wait!**" he managed to cry out. "What…what are you doing…to me?!"

"Oh…don't worry, Arch Seeker," the man said. "It's not that I don't want to work with you, or that I'm not going to give you the second chance I promised…it's just that you've got no **CHOICE** in the matter!"

As the cool nights winds blew through the city of Domino, the hooded figure grinned at the man on the ground who would hopefully provide services that were adequate enough.

Owls hooted by dark and wolves howled at the moon, but this one night held a sound that drowned them all out. It was the ghoulish cackle of a man (with reasons unknown for now) determined to one day vanquish Yugi Moto, the owner of the precious and powerful Egyptian Millennium Puzzle.

More sick chuckling erupted from this person, confident that everything he had planned would all work out in the end. He had a strong goal to achieve, and his determination was fueled by the fury in his soul, the hatred in his heart…as well as the ancient, golden antique in his possession.

A rod.

As the man continued to howl with malicious laughter, he took one last look at the severely injured hunter that would serve him whether he chose to or not.

"Welcome aboard…my **RARE HUNTER! ****HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA!!**"

**GAME OVER **

* * *

Well, that about wraps everything up for my first "Yu-Gi-Oh!" fanfic! I didn't get as much feedback from this story as I hoped, but it's cool! I still had a lot of fun writing it! As promised, my next story will be posted soon, and this next one will indeed be more focused on the "Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters" series! And if that weren't enough, it'll also partially be a romance story! But which couple, you wonder? I'm afraid that you'll just hafta wait and see!

Okay, I'm about done ranting, so I'll leave you readers be to review my story and make your comments on it! And remember…in the next story, be sure to break out your dueling decks because…**IT'S TIME TO DUEL! **So long!


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